Poinsettia plant named ‘Jacadia’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Jacadia’, characterized by its large inflorescences with bright red-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves with burgundy-colored petioles; compact, uniform, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; very freely branching habit; early flowering, natural season flower maturity date is November 22 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about 8 weeks; and excellent post-production longevity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Jacadia’.

The new Poinsettia a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Skibby, Denmark. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars having flower bracts with desirable colors, uniform plant habit and excellent post-production longevity.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross made by the Inventor of the Poinsettia cultivar Angelika, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,492, as the female, or seed, parent, with the Poinsettia cultivar Lilo, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,694, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Jacadia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Skibby, Denmark. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive flower bract colors and good plant form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Skibby, Denmark, since 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Jacadia’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Jacadia’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Large inflorescences with bright red-colored flower bracts.

2. Dark green-colored leaves with burgundy-colored petioles.

3. Uniform, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.

4. Very freely branching habit.

5. Early flowering, natural season flower maturity date is November 22 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about 8 weeks.

6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Angelika, plants of the new Poinsettia have darker colored leaves and flower bracts and better postproduction longevity. Compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Lilo, plants of the new Poinsettia differ in flower bract coloration, have broader bracts, and flower later.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Poinsettia cultivar Peterstar, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,259. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar Peterstar in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are taller and more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Peterstar.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have smaller flower bracts than plants of the cultivar Peterstar. In addition, flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia are very smooth and flat whereas flower bracts of plants of the cultivar Peterstar are rugose.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia flower about 5 to 7 days earlier than plants of the cultivar Peterstar.

4. With subsequent development, flower bract color of plants of the new Poinsettia fades less than flower bract color of plants of the cultivar Peterstar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Jacadia’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Jacadia’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves and flower bracts of ‘Jacadia’ (top) and ‘Peterstar’ (bottom). Plants used in the photographs were about 17 weeks old.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 24° C., night temperatures about 19° C., and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Single plants were grown in 16.5-cm pots, pinched one time, and flowered under naturally lengthening nyctoperiods during the fall. Plants used for the description were about 17 weeks old.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Jacadia.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Poinsettia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Angelika, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,492.

Male parent.—Poinsettia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Lilo, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,694.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 20 to 22° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 28 days at 20 to 22° C.

Rooting habit.—Thick, fibrous and freely-branching.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded; mounding.

Growth habit.—Uniform, compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit. Upright branch angle. Very freely branching; branching is enhanced by removing the shoot apex; about 10 lateral branches develop after removal of the terminal apex. Moderate vigor to vigorous.

Plant height.—About 30 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 57 cm.

Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings to a flowering plant in a 16.5-cm container, about 17 weeks are required.

Stem description.—Lateral branch length: About 28 cm. Lateral branch diameter: About 1.2 cm. Internode length: About 2.75 cm. Stem color: 146A.

Foliage description.—Alternate, simple. Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 8. Length: About 12.5 cm. Width: About 7.25 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate; occasionally slightly lobed. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Mostly glabrous with very slight pubescence on lower surface. Surface: Smooth, not rugose. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A. Young foliage, lower surface: 137B. Mature foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A; venation, 143C. Mature foliage, lower surface: 137A; venation, 138B. Petiole: Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 59A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development can be induced under long nyctoperiod conditions. Response time, about 8 weeks; natural season flower maturity date is November 22 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good substance and bract color for about 4 to 6 weeks under interior conditions and for about 8 weeks under greenhouse conditions.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, usually about 10 per plant.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 30 cm. Height (depth): About 3.75 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: Usually about 20 primary bracts and about 6 to 8 smaller secondary bracts per inflorescence. Length, largest bracts: About 15 cm; stalk about 5 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 10 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate, some lobing. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Smooth, not rugose. Orientation: Slightly upright. Color: Developing, upper surface: Brighter than 46A. Developing, lower surface: 46B. Mature, upper surface: Close to 45A; color does not fade with subsequent development. Mature, lower surface: Brighter than 53B.

Cyathia.—Quantity: Usually about 10 per corymb. Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 2.5 by 3 cm. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Color: Immature: 144B. Mature: 144A. Peduncle: Length: About 3 mm. Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144A. Stamens: Stamen number: Typically about 10 per cyathium. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 46A. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 14A. Pistils: Not observed. Nectary number: One or two per cyathia. Nectary color: 23A.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial conditions. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Jacadia’, as illustrated and described. 